I love autumn. There may be no other season that New York City wears so well. These days, everything is all red and gold tinted, the morning air is beginning to feel a bit more crisp, and you can’t really go anywhere without finding pumpkin-flavored something. Pumpkins are basically the official vegetal mascots of autumn after all, and their versatility and awesomeness is proven time and time again.

Here are just a handful of things you can do with pumpkins this fall:

Eat them. This may seem obvious, but think for a moment about the endless culinary possibilities pumpkins offer. Of course there’s the classic baked goods and pies that we all know and love, but pumpkins offer much more than that. Toast the seeds for a salty snack, make a savory soup using the pumpkin as a vessel, or even candy some pumpkin rind to make an impressive dessert garnish!

Carve and decorate them. Another classic pumpkin pastime involves turning them into fantastic Halloween decorations. If you want to avoid the messiness of scooping out the pumpkin’s core, you can also opt to paint or stencil them! There may be no better way to awaken your inner child than spending an afternoon carving pumpkins.

Add pumpkin to your beauty regimen. Did you know that pumpkins are as healthy for your hair and skin as they are for your diet? Pumpkins contain high concentrations of vitamin A, vitamin C, and zinc, which are great for sun-damaged, dry, sensitive skin. You can mix canned or cooked pumpkin with ingredients like honey, coconut oil, and milk for fantastic DIY facial creams or deep conditioners. organicauthority.com offers a couple great recipes as well as other fun things to do with pumpkin this fall!

By now you’ve probably seen lots of pumpkins for sale at your local farmer’s market or bodega. What are you waiting for? Grab a pumpkin (or two, or three…) and celebrate the season!